Short of the Week – Ghosted

Following on from last year’s comedy-horror Prevenge, Alice Lowe once again finds herself playing a woman in the wake of her partner’s death. Deliciously dark and completely unpredictable, Prevenge was one of the most exciting releases of 2017. Ghosted, however, falls much more into the comedy genre than horror; the apparition of her husband isn’t spooky or chilling, he’s simply there to annoy her while she finds herself on a series of unsuccessful dates.

While it may ultimately be about love, Ghosted doesn’t necessarily fall into the category of rom-com. Marriages and relationships in general don’t always run smoothly, and even in the event of a partner’s death there can be unresolved issues. Director Neville Pierce doesn’t romanticise the scenario of a woman mourning a man who was far from perfect; the facts are just laid on the table and left for you to make up your own mind about.

Ghosted is part of a trio of new short films from Pierce, previously a film journalist. Lowe, as always, is understated yet hilarious, proving once again to be one of the best British comic actors around. With the likes of Prevenge, Sightseers, and Hot Fuzz already under her belt, Lowe continues to make exciting and interesting film choices. The cast alongside Lowe boasts a few other familiar faces, including Richard Glover (Sightseers) and Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).

The balance of comedy and sadness is almost perfect, with some bittersweet moments placed right alongside complete silliness. A beautifully shot and wonderfully acted short film, it signals an exciting start to a new filmmaker’s career, who currently has several other short films in post-production. And anyway, we can never see enough of Alice Lowe in dark comedies like this.